Water-heater base



April 17, 192 8.

1,666,093 R. C. HOYT WATER HEATER BASE Filed Nov. 25. 1925 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 I H as I K24 INVENTOR ATTORNEY R. C. HOYT WATER HEATER BASE Filed Nov. 23. 1925 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 q I I INVENTOR I P1 .5 BY A62? ATTORNEY Patented Apr. 17, 1928.

R RT o. HOYQT, 015 OAKLAND, cemronma; AssIeNoR r0 HoYr EATEn COMPANY; n or LOS ANGELIES, CALIFORNIA, A CORPORATION orcArIronNIA- Application' filed meats 23, 19 25. serial'iio. 70,825."

vMjv invention, relates to bases for water heaters, and it has special reference tobases for heaters ofthe .typesfprovidedwith heating coils, such as automatic water heaters.

: In such heaters the condensation of inoiss v ture on the outside. of the heating coils and on the inside walls of the jacket, forin beads of water which drop to the fioorbel'oiw and eventually present a'we't surface under the heater. In additionlwhen the ash or solid products of combustion; which collect-on'the outside'of the-coils finally drop therefrom itf further presents a sight that is objectionable 1 to persons and housekeepers of orderly habits; Sometimes the drops of condensation also fall upon the pilot light jet for the heater and extinguish'the flame therefrom,

"so that afcontinuous leakage of unburned i gas from the jet-results. Furthermore, the

pilot light is also insufliciently protected from drafts, and the flame is thereforeea'sily extinguished by' a sudden pufi of air or downdraft whichalso causes a dangerous leakage of gas, and whlchwhen the burner is lighted, causes the flame from the pocketed gas to shoot out from the sidesof the burner.

These: occurrences endanger the life of the person in the vicinity of; the heater and in v V View of such detects existing in present heatersv it is considered that they are nonertoo safe for practical 'use'in homes where the operator in most 'casesis unskilled. v

' With the'above in view it-isan object in? this invention to construct a base for heaters of the class referred to, in such a way that,

the productsof condensation :are prevented from falling outside of the heater,' and to i a concentrate such products and reheat them so tlia'tthevapOrS "therefrom will passthrough the vent tube of the heateiy-thus disposing of the said products and thereby increasing the efliciency of the heater .l a'nd' doing away with condensation drippings entirely.

Another object is to provide an annular I channel at the lowermost portion ofthe' base g for the collection of ash andia ny' other mat-.

V ter' that mavpass the burner orffall therefrom., p .v

A further object of the invention isto en'- case the burner within the baseand to shape and' seal the' base so asto prevent any flashing flame from the burner from taking a sidewise or radial course through the of the baseiand thereby safeguard a person in the injury; v r H A still further'object is to'prevent the pilot light-from being accidentally extin guished and; to provide room for alat'eral vicinityfof the heater from possible Y extension whereby the pilot light isprotet- 1- ed from condensation products or froin' unburned products of combustionfallingthereon, thus making the heater'safe for 'uninterrupted use. i

Another object is I other Objects v ge if j a.

.vention will be: understood from thefollow ing detailed description having reference to the accompanyingv drawings in w ich;

I Figure 1 is a front elevation of aheaterY provided with fabase of myiinproved con structiony V V1.

Fig. 2 is a plan of the upperipart of the base and aportion of the burner with the pilot-light=extension, and shows in light'lines l-i y a portion of the heating-coil unit supported.

so; i

on the base, the coils being superposed overl I the drain ways.

- Fig. 3 s a vertical section of the: base with the heater jacket supported thereon, the view being taken along the line 33 in- Fig; 2 and includes a broken-section, 0f the vent tubesupportedinjthe centra]lbowl of the base. a It. also shows the burner positioned and aportion of the-heating-fco'il unit. 1

The 'linesl'of the base and vent tube and the": I

angle. ring ofthe jacket are "shown heavy, 1

and those of the'walls of-the jacket, the e5 f burner and ,heatin 'qoil light; v

v Fig. 4is'a plan of the lower elernent of the base;-and I I n,

F g. 5 is a. vertical section through itb F g. .6 is a sectional elevation ofa frag ,mental p-ortionof the upper partiof the base S'llOWlllQtliG dovetail openingands a support? ing legthereing and .Fig. '7 .is a side viewwot '6 and at angles thereto.

{Referring to the "figures @lnFig 111s sho'w1i one-crni at an ante matic water heater 6 provided with a jacket 7 and being supported upon a base 8, Which comprises an upper, comparatively flat and shallow element 9 and a lower, comparatively deep element 10.

The upper element 9 comprises a central bowl 11 and an outer annular portion 12, Fig. 2, concentric with the bowl and connected therewith by ribs 13 and'channel arms 14 and 15 in such a way that an annu lar space 16 is provided between the bowl and the outer portion 12, for the flame arising from an annular burner 17 mounted below the upper element, while the ribs and the channel arms are adapted to be heated by the flame to convey heat to the central On the bottom of the bowl 11 are concentrio ribs 18, which are spaced apartand adapted to receivebetween them the lower end of a vent tube 19 having an enlarged upper end and being provided with a shoulder for receiving thereon the upper part 20 of the vent tube; the lower portion 19 has oneor more openings 21, each adapted to register with one out the spaces between the ribs 18 in order tolead the drippings to the 'center of the bowl 11 where they will be reheated andtlie arising vapors pass through the vent tube and out ofthe heater 6.-

Arranged around the vent tube portions 19 and 20 and inside ofthe jacket 7 is the heating-coil unit 22, and the upper element 9 has a lateral extension 23 for mounting the control-valve mechanism v2st and the lower header 25 for the heating-coil unit o't the heater thereon, while supports 26 are pro vided for supporting the lower ends of the heating-coil unit. The extension is elevated a little so that its floor 5 may drain thedrippings from the control valve toward the central bowl 11 through the passageway 41-. It should be noted that the channel member 15 is of a comparatively great width and is located directly below a part of the heating-coil unit sothat it thereby serves the purpose of protecting: that part from being overheated bythe flame from the burner- In the outer portion 12- are pockets 2? provided for the purpose of collecting such products of condensation from the heatingby help preventthe accidental of the pilot light flame;

tail' grooves 32, Figs. 6 and 7, in which are driven lateral dovetail extensions 33 at the upper ends of legs 34 for supporting the base and the assembled heater 6 thereon. At the rim of the upper element are lugs 35 havingopenings therein adapted to reg-' ister with openings in similarly arranged lugs 36 in the rim of the lower element 10, b

so that by mea-s of bolts 3'7 through the lugs, and nuts 38 in engagement therewith, the elements may be secured together and form the base 8. By means ot a heat-resisting sealing medium 46, such as asbestos or cement composed of heat-resisting ingredients between'the elements 9 and 10 in a continuous circumferential groove 4t? and under the leg'eztensions 33, they are further sealed so that the flash'or discharge or" burning gases from the sides of the base is prevented and so that the legs 3% areadditionally secured and prevented from working loose irom the base. I

I A further holding meansfor the legs to prevent their being bachedou't of position is provided in the form of an angle ring 18, which constitutes the lower extremity of the jacket-unit 7 and is adapted to slip over the upper element 9, the lower ends of the coil unit above the supports 26 asshown in Fig. 3, and the dove-tail connectionof the legs and base, and at the same time presents a neat exterior'band adapted to cover the structural joints of the invention.

The lower element 10, which is open centrally and of a bowl-like contour, has at its bottom an annular channel 39 provided with lugs l0 in its inner wall. These lugs, Fig. l, have openings 41 therein adapted to receive bolts for securing the burner 11 to the element, which element is further provided with] a radial recessdQ adapted to receive therein the air mixture tube 1-3 of the burner. In the element 10 is also a, passageeil, which is provided with an opening 44: therein for the pilot light 31 of the burner. This passage slopes from the top of the element and extends under the pilot-light extension of the burner. downwardly towards the an- Ill? nular channel 39, and the outer wall of this channel is also the outer wall of the element, so that ashes or solid products or" combustion from the pilot-light extension, as well as the solid products oi? combustion from the annular portion of the burneror such products oit condensation as 'may fall outside of the pockets 2? and the bowl 11 in the upper element 9 and pass the burner,

will thereby beprevented from falling out slde of the base and will thus finally be forced to drop intc the annularchannel 8.9.

In order to further assure that no drops of condensation may pass through the central opening in the lower element, the tube 43 has thereon a beaded flange 45 Fig. 3 which, when the burner is secured in the base, extends over the annular channel 39 and thus serves as a means to lead such drops directly into the channel.

' Having thus described my invention, I-

claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States the following:

1. A water-heater base adapted to support therein the burner for the heater, said base comprising anupper and a lower element; legs for supportingthe heater provided with lateral dovetail extensions shaped to be driven into corresponding dovetail grooves provided in the underside-of the upper element; and sealing means'between the elements for additionally securing the legs to the upper element and for joining the ole ments sothat products of combustion can i not escape from the sides of the base, the

said sealing means seated in a circumferential groove provlded between the elements including the driven legs.-

2.1In a water-heater comprising a heat ing coil unit and jacket therefor, a base including an upper and lower part and shaped for 'mounting therebetween an annular burner,rthe 'upper'part of the base shaped for mounting and supporting there on'theheating-coil unit and the jacket, said upper part comprising a central bowl and a spaced outer annular portion provided with .pocketsfor collecting products of condensation from the heating-coil unit;- and channel 7 arms connecting the bowl and said outer portion for leading the said products to said bowl.

coil unit and jacket therefor, a base includ-' ing an upper and lower part and shaped for mounting therebetweenan annular burner,

" the upper part ofthe base shapedifor mounting and supporting thereon the heating-coil unit and the jacket, said upper part comprising a central bowl and an outer annular por tion provided with pockets for collecting products of condensation from the heating; coil unit; ribs and channel arms connecting said bowl andsaid outer portion'i and spacing said bowl'from said-outer portion,

said. ribs and channel arms being-heatedsaid burner for conveying heat to said:

bowl, and the channel arms for leading the said products to said'bowl'.

Jr/In a water-heater comprising a heating c011 unit and acket thereforfa base including an upper and lower partand shaped for mounting therebetween an -annular burner, the upper part of the vbase shaped for mounting 'and supporting thereon the heating-coil unit and the'jacket,"said upper 0" part comprising a central bowl and an outer annular portion providedwith pockets for collecting products of condensation from the 3. In a water-heater comprising a heating forth. j 1 V v In testimony whereof I afiixmy s1gnature.

heating-coil unit; ribs and channelarms con-c. nectlng Sfild bowl and saldouter portion and spacing said bowl from said jouter portion,

said ribs and :channelarms being heated by said burner for conveying heat tosaid bowl,

and one'of the channel arms beingjof a comparatively great widthin order topro- '7 tect a part of the coil unit from overheating.

51.111 a water-heater comprising a heat ing coilunit a-nd jacket therefor, a base including an upper and lower'part and shaped for mounting therebetween an annular burner, the upper part-of the base shaped for mounting and supporting thereon the heater-coiliunit and the; jacket, said upper part comprls ng a central bow l'-and' an outer annular portlon commun catmgwith the central bowl for collecting prod-' 0 ucts o'f'condensation from the heating-coil" unit andfor leading said products to. said bowl, and said bowl having concentricribs spiacedapart for holdinga vent tube in concentric relation to the bowl, theitube carrying away the products of vaporization from the condensation :collected in said bowL' 6. A base for an automatic water heater comprising an upper and. a. lowerelement'seg curedjto each other and shaped to support therebetween the burner for the heater, the

upper element'provided with a central bowl and a lateral extension on said upper element formounting-thereon the control-valve 'mechanism and one. of the headers forrthe heating coils of the" heater, the floor, of the extension sloping towardthe central bowlfor' drainage and supports on said upper element for supporting the lower ends of the heating coils connected with said header.

, 7. A water-heateribase comprising anupper and a lower element concentrically arranged and secured to each other, the upped.- 7

element shapedfor mounting and support ing thereon the heating-coil .unit and the jacket tor the heater and comprises a central bowl and an outeri-annularportion "spaced apart? "from and 'coinmunic'ating Withsaid'central bowl, and the lower element supporting; in the space between said annular burner provided with a. lateral pilot nular portion and said central bowl' anan a light extension,-the outerannular portion of for the purposes set iextension towards said annular channel, all substantially as and ROBERT o, HoYn; 

